Students Create Online 'Drift Clinic' For Safe Driving

By Connect Mason Life Director Sorphea Sam
Photos by Connect Mason Photographer Audrey Whitham

Mason students and local car enthusiasts show off their skills through SlidewaysOnline.com, a group that promotes a safe environment for drifting.

SlidewaysOnline.com is an online community of “drifters” (drivers with cars that have the ability to slide sideways, mainly rear wheel drive cars), based out of the DC, MD, VA area. The group was first developed by three friends, Michael Yoshiro Jeffery, Clayton Richey, and Michael Sudduth. The the idea was developed in 2004. The forum didn’t come about until late November of 2006.

Jeffery, better known as “Yoshi,” is the president of Slideways and a 5th year student at Mason who wanted to create a community for people who were interested in drifting. The group started having events and track days to promote legal track racing.

What's drifting? Check out this video from Slideways' Drift 101 event.

"The main point of Slideways is to give people a safe place, a safe environment to not only do things, but to come with their ideas," said Jeffery. "The [goal] is to be an open community where you can discuss things, talk about things, it doesn’t matter what it is and not have the fear that someone is gonna yell at you about it.”

This community of drifters isn't exclusive to only those with RWD vehicles.

"Doesn’t matter if you drive a front wheel drive car," said Jeffery, "If you're into cars, we’re trying to be the community for everybody.”

They often practice at the Old Dominion Speedway in Manassas. This track provides more than oval tracks for the drifters. Old Dominion also has a drag strip for those who want to race on the tracks and, more importantly, off the streets.

"It’s a lot more fun then driving on the streets,” said Jeffery. "Once you get your first run on the track, you’ll want to keep coming back."

Slideways provides championship events for beginners. "It's a drift clinic," said Jeffery. The group helps people with technical issues and techniques.

Jeffery discovered his interest in cars when he was 18 years old. His father bought him his first car, a manual ’85 BMW 325e and he claims, "he didn’t know what he had till he lost it."

Now on his third car, a '89 BMW 325i, has become his joy and after the first week of ownership, he had it on the track at an open drift day with US Drift, (the first national drifting organization in the US). Yoshi has been drifting for four years now and enjoys helping the members of his site get better at what they do.

Inspired by Ken Gushi, one of the nation's top drifting competitors, Jeffery has been drifting for four years now and enjoys helping the members of his online community get better at what they do.

Interested in getting involved? Slideways will host a Dyno Day Event at Moore Automotive in Fairfax City this Saturday, February 9th, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.